


dance me very tenderly

by SlantedKnitting



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alcohol, Canon Era, First Kiss, M/M, Snow, Winter Solstice
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-20
Updated: 2020-12-20
Packaged: 2021-03-10 07:01:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,398
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27846510
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SlantedKnitting/pseuds/SlantedKnitting
Summary: It's the winter solstice, and Merlin and Arthur are at the celebration banquet. Merlin has other plans for the rest of the night. Arthur wants in, too.
Relationships: Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Comments: 16
Kudos: 120
Collections: WinterKnights 2020 - a Merlin Winter/Holiday Fest





	dance me very tenderly

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to anonymous for the prompt :)

The banquet hall was warm despite the snow outside. The fires were all lit, and the tables were well crowded with knights and noble families and other important guests. Everyone’s goblets were full, had been full all night, hadn’t been allowed to run dry.

Merlin had been running around for most of the evening, topping off his friends’ drinks and sneaking drinks of his own in between. Maybe that was why the room was so warm.

He’d been keeping an eye on the windows, too, checking the weather. If it was snowing too badly, his plans for the evening would be ruined. From what he could tell, though, the snow was slowing down, the sky was clearing up, and it was shaping up to be a pleasant night.

“Merlin!” Arthur waved him down for the umpteenth time. Merlin hurried over and refilled Arthur’s chalice. “Eager to get somewhere?” he asked as Merlin was bent over his place at the high table.

“Hm?”

“You keep looking outside. Do you have other plans?”

“Of course not.” Merlin straightened up and checked the glasses of the people on either side of Arthur, but they were full.

“Of course not,” Arthur repeated.

Merlin flashed Arthur a grin and dashed off to get himself another drink.

The winter solstice celebrations continued with more drinks and more food and more merriment and more friends. Merlin was feeling cosy and slow and perhaps ready to skip the rest of the night and curl up in his bed with an extra blanket.

Then Arthur stood, and Merlin set down his pitcher and went to help the prince to his rooms.

Arthur slung his arm around Merlin’s shoulders as they made their way through the castle.

“Did you have a good time?” he asked.

“I did,” Merlin said, guiding Arthur through the door to his room and over to his bed. “I can see you did as well.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Arthur sat on the edge of his bed and looked up at Merlin. “Were you watching me?”

“It’s my job to watch you.”

“I was watching you, too.”

“Were you?” Merlin asked. He leaned down to take off Arthur’s boots, but Arthur held him at bay. “Arthur, what—”

“Take me with you,” Arthur said.

“Take you where, exactly?”

“Wherever you’re going. I know you’re not going straight home. Please.”

“Arthur—”

“I’m not ready for the night to be over,” Arthur said.

Merlin could appreciate that. The air was static, like there was too much to do, too much to be had, and not enough time or space to contain it. The castle was dark, the sky was dark, but Camelot was alive.

“Are you sure?” Merlin asked.

“I’m sure.”

“All right. You’ll have to get changed. You’ll be recognised in all that.”

Arthur looked down at his clothes. “Right.” He stood and started to undress.

Merlin went over to his wardrobes and started rifling through clothes, trying to find the least conspicuous items.

He settled on a plain blue shirt and Arthur’s most worn-out pair of trousers. He helped the prince into them and then took a step back to see the picture he made.

He didn’t exactly scream ‘townsperson’, but it was close enough.

“All right,” Merlin said. “That will have to do. Ready?”

Arthur nodded, and Merlin led the way. They went out of the castle, through the city, and into the lower town. There was a clearing between some houses, and what looked like the entirety of Camelot was there.

There were musicians playing off to the side, innkeepers giving out free rounds of ale, and there, in the centre of the clearing, townspeople dancing and singing and shouting and drinking.

Merlin dragged Arthur into the throng.

It was loud and messy and perfect.

“Dance with me!” Merlin said, shouting to be heard over everyone.

“What?” Arthur looked alarmed.

“You heard me!”

Merlin held out his hands, and Arthur took them hesitantly. He looked around, but no one was paying them any mind.

Arthur led, which Merlin didn’t mind, and they moved their way through a few traditional dances. It was sort of funny, Merlin thought, to see the prince blend in so well, to see him not at the centre of attention, to see him acting so normal.

The night air was crisp, sharp, like it was holding a city’s worth of secrets, and Merlin never wanted it to end.

They danced for what must have been hours, taking breaks only to get ale, and the celebrations continued around them.

Then the sky grew light, but not with the sun. Rather it was white clouds, full and fluffy, and they began to snow down over the lower town.

Arthur tossed his head back, mouth open, catching snowflakes on the tip of his tongue. Merlin watched, warm and endeared, until Arthur had enough and looked back at him.

“Come sit?” Merlin asked.

Arthur nodded, and Merlin guided him toward a low wall.

They almost reached it, but Arthur took a wrong step, slipped on the snow, and went crashing to the ground. He flailed as he went down, reaching out for Merlin, and Merlin fell on top of him.

“Merlin,” Arthur said, and it took Merlin a moment to realise that Arthur was laughing underneath him. “You buffoon.”

“Me? You’re the one who fell!”

Arthur continued laughing. He got his arms untangled from their heap and wrapped them around Merlin’s back, holding him close.

“Thank you for tonight,” he said. “This was wonderful.”

“I’m glad you came.” Merlin peered down at Arthur, at his contented expression and shining eyes and smiling lips. He pressed a kiss to Arthur’s mouth.

“Merlin,” Arthur said softly.

“Sorry.” Merlin tried to shift away, but Arthur held him in place.

“Don’t be sorry.” Arthur brushed hair out of Merlin’s face and leaned up for another kiss.

Merlin sank into it, tasting Arthur underneath all the ale, and let the moment wash over him.

Then someone chucked a snowball at them. It exploded over their heads, covering their faces with fresh, cold snow and breaking the moment.

Arthur started laughing again, full and loud, and Merlin rolled off and began making a snowball of his own. He looked around for the culprit, but once again no one was paying them any mind. It could have been anyone.

He tossed his snowball at Arthur instead, hitting him on the chest.

Arthur stood, brushing snow off himself. “Come on,” he said, holding out his hand.

Merlin took it and let Arthur guide him back through the crowd, back through the city, back into the castle. He let Arthur lead him past the still-roaring party in the banquet hall, down the corridors, and into Arthur’s rooms.

“Do you want help getting ready for bed?” Merlin asked, already pulling down Arthur’s covers.

“No.”

“Oh.”

“Come here.”

Merlin went over to where Arthur was standing by the window.

“Stand here,” Arthur said, guiding Merlin into place. “Look.”

Merlin looked out the window, and his breath caught in his throat.

The kingdom looked magical. There was snow sparkling over the courtyard, the city, the lower town, the forest, the mountains. Everything was white and shining under the moonlight.

Arthur wrapped his arms around Merlin’s middle and hooked his chin over Merlin’s shoulder.

Merlin covered Arthur’s hands with his own. “It’s beautiful.”

Arthur murmured his agreement.

Then he yawned.

“We should get you to bed,” Merlin said, and Arthur didn’t disagree.

Merlin extracted himself from Arthur’s embrace and finished turning down the bed as Arthur got changed into his nightclothes. He slipped under the covers, and Merlin pulled them over him, tucking him in.

“Good night, Arthur,” Merlin said, stepping away from the bed.

“Wait.” Arthur reached out his hand, and Merlin took it gently. “Come here.”

He tugged on Merlin’s arm, and Merlin leaned down to give Arthur a kiss.

“That what you wanted?” he asked, smiling.

“Yes.”

Merlin gave him another.

“Good night, Merlin,” Arthur said, apparently satisfied. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

Merlin stood again, blew out the candles, drew the curtains, and let himself out. He went back to his own room—Gaius was still at the solstice celebrations—and changed into his nightclothes. He curled up under his covers with an extra blanket, warm and happy, and fell asleep with that last kiss still tingling on his lips.


End file.
